TAIPEI, 1 October 2026: StarCruises confirms Star Navigator’s 2027 sailings from Keelung and Kaohsiung open for bookings on 1 October 2026, featuring 13 roundtrip itineraries ranging from two- to seven-night Cruises to destinations across Japan and South Korea.
The new season runs from 11 December 2026 to 1 September 2027, with Keelung serving as Star Navigator’s main homeport and departure point.
Photo credit: StarCruises. Star Navigator’s 2027 sailings open for bookings.
During the winter school holidays, Star Navigator will sail from Kaohsiung from 24 January to 4 February 2027, giving families more ways to enjoy a cruise before the Lunar New Year.
As the only cruise ship sailing from Kaohsiung during this period, guests can choose from two- and three-night roundtrip cruises to Hong Kong and Okinawa, Japan.
With year-round sailings from Keelung, StarCruises offers more ways to explore Japan, with itineraries covering 12 destinations across Japan, as well as select sailings that combine visits to Busan and Jeju in South Korea.
SINGAPORE, 1 October 2026: Air Astana has opened bookings for a new seasonal service between Almaty and Langkawi, Malaysia.
The service will operate three times weekly on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from 25 December 2026 to 27 March 2027, operating an Airbus A321LR.
Photo credit: Air Astana.
Flight schedule
KC8167 departs Almaty at 2135 and arrives in Langkawi at 0810 (plus a day). Flight time: Seven hours and 35 minutes. KC8168 departs Langkawi at 0940 and arrives in Almaty at 1440. Flight time: Eight hours.
Return fares start at KZT326,605 (USD740) in economy class and KZT886,590 (USD2020) in business class, including taxes and charges. Tickets can be booked on the airline’s website and mobile app as well as through accredited travel agents.
Kazakh citizens can enter Malaysia visa-free for stays of up to 30 days.
Langkawi is one of Malaysia’s most popular island destinations, located in the Andaman Sea and known for its white-sand beaches, ancient mangrove forests and mountainous landscape. The archipelago is recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Its best-known attractions include Pantai Cenang beach, the Langkawi Cable Car and the Sky Bridge, which offers panoramic views over the island’s tropical rainforest.
BANGKOK, 30 September 2026: BWH Hotels, a leading global hospitality enterprise comprising WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels, is celebrating a highly successful recognition at the 35th TTG Travel Awards 2026, as it was named the “Best Mid-Range Hotel Brand — Asia” once again.
It reaffirms its place in the prestigious Travel Hall of Fame, while Best Western Chatuchak was voted the “Best Mid-Range Hotel — Bangkok” for the second year in a row.
TTG Asia’s Travel Hall of Fame is reserved for the region’s leading travel providers, which have won their category for at least 10 consecutive years. BWH Hotels was first inducted in 2019, and its latest honour reflects how the company continues to lead the midscale hotel sector with diverse brand concepts, contemporary hospitality, and a commitment to warm, heartfelt service.
Best Western Chatuchak, which opened in 2023, is a prime example of how BWH Hotels is elevating the midscale hotel sector in Asia. Perfectly positioned just steps from Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market and Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station, this modern property has quickly become a favourite among both business and leisure travellers. The hotel enhances the guest experience through partnerships with local specialists, offering on-site wellness and lifestyle experiences, including a popular café, spa therapies, yoga, Pilates, sound healing, and acupuncture.
The TTG Travel Awards are determined by the readers of TTG Asia and its six sister publications, comprising highly respected members of the region’s travel trade. The accolades were presented during a glittering awards ceremony and gala dinner held in central Bangkok on the evening of 24 September 2026.
“It is a true honour to achieve these two prestigious awards, and I would like to thank every reader of TTG Asia for voting for us. Our company has made a long-term commitment to working with the travel industry to provide the best possible stays for our customers. These latest accolades show that our partners share our vision, and we look forward to working closely together in future, as we continue to elevate the hospitality industry and create exceptional experiences for every guest,” said BWH Hotels Vice President — APAC Olivier Berrivin.
SINGAPORE, 30 September 2026: Picture what flying could feel like — arrive at the airport, walk to the gate, board, collect your bag at the other end. No queues.
Airlines are already doing what is expected, explains SITA President Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel.
Photo credit: SITA.
According to SITA’s 2025 Air Transport IT Insights report, 63% now use AI in operations control to manage disruption, aircraft assignment, and crew availability. In Asia Pacific, 98% of airlines use AI in some form, the highest adoption of any region in the world. The technology is no longer the problem.
The problem, the same research shows, is that 49% of airlines still name data integration as their biggest barrier to scaling AI further. This pattern shows up across the industry: significant investment in intelligence, and comparatively little in the plumbing that lets that intelligence act. An airline’s AI can predict a delayed connection perfectly and still fail the passenger, not because the prediction was wrong, but because that prediction never reached the other systems that needed to act on it in time.
This is not a technology gap. It is a coordination gap, and closing it matters more than any single new tool the industry adopts this year.
This already works. It just isn’t connected.
None of this is hypothetical. When a flight is delayed, and a connection is at risk, AI can already flag the issue, reroute the bag, alert ground staff, and update the passenger before the disruption cascades. When a security lane gets congested, AI can automatically open a new one. When a passenger with reduced mobility arrives at the gate, AI can dispatch a wheelchair before anyone has to ask. These are not concepts. They are running today at some of the world’s major airports.
Data is what makes each of them possible. When operational information moves cleanly between airlines, airports, ground handlers, and border agencies, AI can act on it in real time. When it doesn’t, and too often it doesn’t, coordination slows, and the passenger absorbs the delay.
Aviation is growing faster than most people realise, and where that growth is coming from matters. Global passenger demand grew 5.3% in 2025, with Asia Pacific leading all regions at 10.9% international traffic growth. The average traveller is not flying more often than before. The growth is coming from first-time flyers, digital natives who have grown up with ride-hailing apps, instant delivery tracking, and payments that just work, and who have never known anything but connected digital experiences.
SITA’s Passenger IT Insights report, which surveyed more than 7,500 passengers worldwide, captures what this new majority wants: simplicity, trust, and sustainability. Their top ask is shorter wait times. Second is a single ticket covering the entire journey across air, rail, and road. Neither is a request for a new gadget. Both are requests for the systems that already exist to stop working in isolation.
That is not a preference. It is an expectation, and it is the same coordination problem, seen from the passenger’s side of the counter.
One identity, every touchpoint
Biometric identity is where the coordination argument becomes visible to the passenger. A single scan can already replace a document check. The harder problem, and the one that matters, is getting every system along the journey — check-in, bag drop, security, boarding, immigration — to recognise the same passenger without asking them to prove it again at each stop. That is not a technology limitation. Airports and airlines already have the tools.
Do systems talk to each other?
APAC is leading the way on both fronts. The share of passengers who have never used biometrics dropped from 41% in 2024 to 31% in 2025 in a single year, and 62% would now actively choose a biometric checkpoint over a traditional border counter. Passengers are not just tolerating this technology. They are choosing it, and asking for more of it: 79% are comfortable storing their passport on their phone, and 78% are happy to share their digital identity and biometrics ahead of travel.
The demand is no longer the constraint. The constraint is coordination: 54% of airports globally have live biometric border control today, a figure expected to reach 83% by 2028, and 64% of airlines plan to move to airline-issued digital identity credentials, nearly double the share from a year ago. The direction is set. APAC and the Middle East are setting the pace.
Photo credit: SITA.
Baggage: The same gap, in numbers
Baggage makes the coordination argument in dollars. According to SITA’s 2026 Baggage IT Insights Report, mishandling rates fell 23% in 2025 to 4.9 bags per 1,000 passengers, dropping below pre-pandemic levels for the first time, even as global passenger volumes hit a record 5 billion. That progress happened because more of the handoffs between airline, ground handler, and airport now share data in real time. Where that handoff still breaks, the cost is steep: the industry absorbs $6.3 billion a year in mishandling, at $260 per bag on average. Airline net profit runs at roughly $8 per passenger, so one mishandled bag can erase the profit from more than 30 seats sold.
Asia Pacific shows what happens when that handoff works. The region already records the lowest mishandling rate globally, at 3.41 bags per 1,000 passengers, and the lowest cost per bag at $210, well below the global average. That advantage is not incidental. It is the dividend of newer airports built with connected systems from the start.
The next gains are coming from linking passenger-facing tools directly into that same data layer. Integrating Apple Find My and Google Find Hub into airline recovery systems cut permanently lost bags by 90% in the first year alone. None of this required new hardware. It required the systems to share what they already knew.
APAC: Highest ambition, widest gap
Asia Pacific is not just growing faster than any other aviation market. It drives more than half of the world’s new passenger traffic, and its passengers already fly more than anyone else, averaging 4.4 flights a year. It also runs the coordination gap this piece describes at its most extreme: the highest AI adoption of any region, and only 21% of airlines share operational data with partners. That gap, real ambition without the connective layer to match it, is the same gap driving everything above. Here, it’s widest.
The physical build-out backing that ambition is real and moving fast: airport-rail links under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Seoul, single-ticket air-rail itineraries already live in Korea, and growing integration between aviation and maritime transport across the region. 45% of APAC passengers now book multiple intermodal trips, against 31% in Europe and the Americas.
None of that infrastructure closes the gap on its own. A rail link only helps a passenger if the train actually knows their flight is late and holds the connection for them, and that is a data problem, not a construction one. Close it at the same pace the region is pouring concrete, and APAC does not just keep growing fastest. It becomes the template everyone else copies.
The next leap isn’t a technology. It’s an agreement.
None of this arrives through a single vendor or a single product. It arrives when the industry stops treating passenger data as a competitive asset each company holds alone and starts treating it as shared infrastructure, information that exists for the journey, not for whichever company happens to be holding it.
By 2050, the goal will not be a nicer airport. It will be an airport the passenger barely notices, because the system is navigating them, AI is orchestrating the handovers, and their identity is following them across every mode of transport without being asked to prove it again. Sustainability is not added to that picture afterwards. It is built into every decision along the way.
We already have the technology. We already have the data. We already have passengers asking for exactly this. What is missing is the coordination to bring it together, and for the next billion of them boarding for the first time, that is not aspiration. It is the job in front of us.
(Author: SITA President Asia Pacific Sumesh Patel)
SINGAPORE, 30 September 2026: Princess Cruises becomes the first global cruise line to launch a native app in ChatGPT, bringing real-time cruise planning directly into a leading AI platform.
The new Princess Cruises app puts the brand at the forefront of Large Language Model (LLM)-powered cruise discovery while keeping travellers connected to Princess’ booking ecosystem.
Photo credit: Princess Cruises.
“There is a broader shift in travel discovery as consumers increasingly use generative AI not simply to find information, but to help evaluate choices and plan increasingly complex trips,” said Princess Cruises Vice President of Digital Commerce and Experience Neena Vicente. “This launch places Princess at the forefront of agentic commerce in the cruising industry, creating a new entry point into cruise discovery that inspires guests to find the vacation that is right for them.”
For guests, the experience is simple. By tagging @princesscruises and installing the Princess app in ChatGPT, travellers can use everyday language to explore 330+ cruise destinations across 17 ships, check pricing and availability, and refine their plans in the same conversation — making cruise planning and booking simpler, faster, and more intuitive.
For example, travellers can ask ChatGPT to check current cruise pricing and availability or narrow options based on individual vacation preferences.
The experience lets travellers keep refining their plans naturally. A guest searching for an Alaska cruise, for example, could follow up by asking which options visit Glacier Bay National Park, which depart from Seattle, or how two itineraries differ – all within the same conversation.
The Princess Cruises app will initially be available through ChatGPT, but Princess intends to expand to additional compatible AI platforms in the future, subject to platform availability and technical requirements.
BANGKOK, Thailand, 30 September 2026: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, the hotel arm of Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, is celebrating continued Michelin recognition across its international portfolio, spanning distinctive hotel stays and dining experiences across multiple brands and markets.
Leading the latest honours is Dusit Thani Bangkok, Dusit’s reimagined flagship hotel opposite Lumpini Park in the heart of the Thai capital, which has been elevated from One to Two Michelin Keys – denoting an exceptional stay – in the Michelin Guide’s 2026 global hotel selection.
Rebuilt on the site of the original hotel, which opened in 1970 and closed for redevelopment in 2019, the 257-room property reopened in September 2024 as a key component of Dusit Central Park, a landmark mixed-use development bringing together the hotel, luxury residences, offices, retail, and an expansive rooftop park.
Conceived to set a new benchmark for the Dusit Thani brand, Dusit Thani Bangkok presents a contemporary interpretation of its predecessor’s distinctive identity, with all guest rooms offering sweeping views of Lumpini Park. The hotel reflects a broader evolution of Dusit’s luxury offering, centred on combining the group’s Thai hospitality heritage with contemporary design and highly personalised service, while shaping each property’s experiences around its destination.
This approach is reflected in award-winning efforts elsewhere in Dusit’s global portfolio. Dusit Thani Kyoto in Japan and Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort in the Philippines have each retained One Michelin Key – denoting a very special stay – maintaining Dusit’s Michelin Key presence across three countries while demonstrating how the brand’s Thai-inspired gracious hospitality can take distinct forms in different locations.
Beyond its Michelin Key properties, ASAI Bangkok Chinatown, ASAI Bangkok Sathorn, and ASAI Kyoto Shijo – all part of Dusit’s locally focused lifestyle brand, ASAI Hotels – are also included in the Guide’s curated hotel selection, comprising properties chosen by Michelin’s inspectors for their quality, individual character, and connection to their destinations.
Michelin recognition also extends to Dusit’s dining experiences. At Dusit Thani Bangkok, Cannubi by Umberto Bombana holds One Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026 – making it the only Italian restaurant in Thailand to hold the distinction. The contemporary Italian restaurant received its first Star when the 2026 edition was announced in November 2025.
Elsewhere in Bangkok, Thien Duong, the Vietnamese restaurant at Baan Dusit Thani, retains its Michelin Bib Gourmand, recognising good-quality, good-value cooking.
In the Philippines, Benjarong, serving refined Thai cuisine, and Umu, specialising in Japanese dining, at Dusit Thani Manila are both included as Michelin Selected restaurants in the Michelin Guide Philippines 2026.
In the UAE, Namak, serving contemporary Indian cuisine at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, continues its run as a Michelin Selected restaurant.
Collectively, the Michelin recognition spans multiple Dusit brands, destinations, and hospitality experiences, from luxury and lifestyle hotels to a diverse range of dining concepts.
“Receiving Two Michelin Keys for Dusit Thani Bangkok is a tremendous honour, and one made even more meaningful by the wider Michelin recognition our hotels and restaurants continue to receive across several destinations,” said Chanin Donavanik, Group CEO, Dusit International. “These achievements belong first and foremost to our teams, whose skill, creativity, and care shape the experiences our guests enjoy every day. They also affirm our belief that staying true to our Thai hospitality heritage while continually evolving for the needs of today’s travellers can create experiences that resonate far beyond our home market. We are immensely proud of what our teams have achieved, and we will continue building on this foundation across our portfolio.”
For more information about Dusit Hotels and Resorts, visit dusit.com.
SYDNEY, Australia, 30 September 2026: Sabre, a global travel technology company, announced the appointment of Fiona Richards as Regional Director, South Pacific.
In the role, Richards will lead Sabre’s engagement with customers and partners across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, helping travel businesses navigate an increasingly complex distribution and technology landscape.
Photo credit: Sabre. Fiona Richards.
Her appointment reflects Sabre’s continued focus on helping customers unlock growth opportunities, adapt to evolving retailing and distribution models, and make informed technology investment decisions in a rapidly changing market.
“Fiona brings extensive industry experience, deep customer relationships and a strong track record of commercial success,” said Sabre Vice President Agency Sales and Airline Distribution APAC Brett Thorstad. “Having spent more than two decades with Sabre, she has played a key role in helping shape customer success across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Her appointment reflects our commitment to developing exceptional talent from within the organisation. As the industry continues to evolve, Fiona’s leadership will help ensure our customers are well positioned to adapt, grow and succeed.”
Before her appointment as Regional Director, South Pacific, Richards led a commercial team responsible for premier customer relationships and strategic commercial initiatives across the region. During her more than 20-year tenure with Sabre, she has played a significant role in some of the company’s most significant customer growth, retention and strategic partnership successes.
SINGAPORE, 30 September 2026: HBX Group announced Tuesday the launch of Bedsonline+, the next chapter of its leading travel advisor booking solution.
Building on more than two decades of supporting travel advisors, Bedsonline+ unites expanded travel products, AI technology, and enhanced services into one stronger proposition, helping advisors create more personalised, connected, and valuable travel experiences.
Photo credit: HBX Group.
As traveller expectations continue to evolve and AI changes how people experience and book travel, travel advisors are increasingly expected to deliver personalised recommendations, seamless multi-service journeys, and greater value throughout the customer experience.
Bedsonline+ responds by expanding the Bedsonline experience through broader products, smarter technology and enhanced service that help advisors better serve their clients while growing their business.
At its core, Bedsonline+ combines premium and luxury accommodation, experiences, mobility and packaging capabilities with intelligent technology, including smart itinerary-building functionality, AI-powered destination discovery and data-led insights that help advisors identify emerging travel trends.
“Bedsonline+ is about embracing the current AI revolution and making it simpler for travel advisors to benefit from everything we’ve built over the years. We’ve continuously invested in expanding our products, technology and services, always guided by the evolving needs of our partners and the fast-changing expectations of travellers, who are increasingly seeking sophistication, attentiveness, and flexibility. Today, we’re bringing those investments together into a clearer proposition that makes it easier for travel advisors to create more value for their clients and unlock new growth opportunities,” said HBX Group Chief Distribution Officer David Amsellem.
BANGKOK, 30 September 2026: Jungfrau Railways continues to develop its destinations while preserving the natural environment, respecting local communities and embracing technology to enhance the visitor experience.
While reaffirming its long-standing commitment to sustainable tourism development, the famous mountain railway plans to enhance restaurants, hotels and visitor attractions further while maintaining a strong focus on environmental conservation and community participation.
Photo credit: Jungfrau Railways.
The company is also advancing its digital transformation, including using Artificial Intelligence to provide personalised travel guidance, to gradually move towards a fully online travel experience.
Jungfrau Railways CEO Oliver Hummel explains that for more than 100 years, Jungfrau Railways has been recognised as a symbol of Switzerland’s pioneering spirit and innovation. In 1912, the railway reached Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe for the first time, taking passengers to the highest railway station in Europe at an altitude of 3,454 metres above sea level. The spectacular railway journey passes through tunnels beneath the Eiger and Mönch mountains, while passengers can also experience breathtaking high-alpine scenery through the panoramic windows at Eigergletscher station.
“During the pioneering era, visitors began their journey to Jungfrau from Interlaken, connecting from boats to Switzerland’s main railway network. At the time, different routes to Jungfrau were operated separately. Jungfrau Railways later integrated the routes and continued developing connections between destinations to make travel more convenient for visitors,” said Hummel.
One of the latest developments is the Eiger Express, part of the innovative V-Cableway system. Introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eiger Express significantly reduced travel time to Jungfraujoch, taking just 15 minutes from Grindelwald Terminal to Eigergletscher.
Community participation is an important part of Jungfrau Railways’ development approach. The company operates across nine municipalities in two cantons, and it conducts public consultation before undertaking new development projects.
“Our responsibility covers nine municipalities across two cantons. Therefore, every development project must involve the local community through public consultation. If the community does not agree, we will not proceed with further development,” Hummel explained.
Among the projects currently being planned is relocating the access point to Grindelwald First closer to Grindelwald railway station, creating a more convenient connection for visitors. The project is being planned in cooperation with neighbouring communities, aiming to preserve the area’s beauty and character.
Personalised travel with AI
In 2025, approximately 80,000 Thai visitors travelled to Jungfrau. As travel patterns continue to evolve, Jungfrau Railways is developing an increasingly digital travel experience, from booking across multiple platforms to using AI to help visitors plan their journeys.
interested in hiking and mountain activities can discover areas around Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg – Top of Hiking.
Future developments
A new restaurant with 400 seats is also planned at Eigergletscher, at the end of the Eiger Express route, giving visitors more dining options while helping reduce congestion at restaurants on Jungfraujoch. In addition, a hotel development featuring approximately 200 rooms and 400 beds is planned in Interlaken Ost for 2028.
“We are trying to develop the area further, but always on the basis that development must not harm what already exists. This is not simply because the area is part of a World Heritage Site. From the first day we encountered this ‘little lady’ – Jungfrau – many years have passed, yet she remains much the same. Although climate change has caused the ice to recede by around one centimetre each year, we remain committed to protecting the surrounding areas of Jungfrau and Grindelwald so that their natural beauty can endure,” Hummel said.
Grindelwald: A gateway to Jungfraujoch
Grindelwald is a mountain village in Switzerland located at the foot of the Eiger in the Jungfrau region. Its appeal lies in the combination of dramatic mountain scenery, mountain tourism accessible by railway and cableway, and a village shaped by agriculture and warm hospitality. It is one of 23 municipalities within the UNESCO Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage area and serves as a gateway to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe.
Activities change with the seasons. Spring offers village walks and easy trails across the green meadows, with snow still visible on the mountain peaks. Summer brings hiking, trail running and mountain biking, while autumn remains ideal for hiking. During winter, skiing and snowboarding are the main activities, complemented by snow-covered mountain walks for travellers seeking a more adventurous experience.
About Jungfrau Railways Jungfrau Railways is one of Switzerland’s iconic mountain railway operators, connecting visitors with the spectacular alpine landscapes of the Jungfrau region and Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe.
GENEVA, Switzerland, 30 September 2026: Explora Journeys has signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard for the construction of its first luxury river ships, marking the brand’s planned entry into Europe’s competitive river cruise market.
Since launching, Explora Journeys has sought to change the way people experience ocean travel through its Ocean State of Mind philosophy — combining the freedom and discovery of travelling by sea with the elegance and refinement of European hospitality and design. The brand now intends to bring that same approach to Europe’s most iconic rivers.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of river vessels ordered, guest capacity, or ship dimensions. Renderings and onboard feature specifications will be released closer to the 2027 sales launch. Details regarding ship design, onboard experiences, delivery schedules and initial itineraries will be announced shortly. However, cruises will focus on the Rhine, Danube, and Seine rivers.
About Explora Journeys Explora Journeys is the privately owned luxury ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Rooted in Swiss precision, understated European elegance and the Aponte-Vago family’s 300 years of maritime heritage, the brand has grown from a long-held vision to redefine the ocean experience.
